In a church service a couple of Sundays ago, the speaker touched on a point that I believe the Holy Spirit wants us all to ponder in this season.

In Mark 11:1-8a Jesus sends His disciples to get the donkey to be used for his ‘pre-last supper’ procession into Jerusalem. Jesus gave the disciples a series of specific instructions, stated in verses 2 & 3, “…and (Jesus) said to them, “As soon as you enter the village ahead, you will find a donkey’s colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it to me. And if anyone asks, ‘Why are you taking it?’ tell them, ‘The master needs it and will send it back to you soon’.” ”

If we look at these instructions in the context of our lives today, they seem crazy, like the perfect setup for being arrested.

What would you do today?
Would you respectfully decline to follow those seemingly extreme instructions?
Would you obey as the disciples did?
Would you partially obey or tweak the instructions to make them more appropriate?

It didn’t take much contemplation for me to conclude that I would likely be inclined to edit the instructions slightly, and request permission from the owner first.

As I pondered this further, the Holy Spirit whispered, “Your decision is a clear snapshot of how much you trust Christ as your Lord and Savior. A snapshot of how surrendered you are to the will and purpose of God for your life.”

Those words stung a bit, but they initiated some much needed Spirit-led introspection.

The question wasn’t whether or not I trust God, but to what degree. I clearly am not at the Proverbs 3: 5-6 level of trusting God.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go…Don’t assume that you know it all.” MSG

The last portion of the passage really hit home, as the Holy Spirit gave insight. The only reason I would adjust God’s instructions is because subconsciously, I assumed that I know better.

Wow! Now that was a gut punch.

How is this applicable to you and your situation? How have you been subconsciously correcting God’s instructions in your life?

How many metaphorical donkeys have you left tied up in disobedience to God’s instructions? Is this tugging at your heart like it did mine? Are you in need of a moment of Spirit-led introspection like I experienced?

As shown in the scripture, for the believer, the opposite of trust (trusting in God) is self-reliance. We are such intelligent leaders: we build cars, trucks, planes etc., teach others, rule nations, diagnose and treat illnesses, lead organizations, run small businesses and more, so we are always in “in control mode”, but our Abba Father wants us to rest, trust and obey.

Sometimes fear drives us to self-reliance. We’ve all likely heard someone say, “In order to ensure that it’s done correctly, I have to do it myself.” I know I have said that on occasion in reference to a task I assigned to my son or someone else. Yes, we’ve learned to trust ourselves over everyone and everything else, so we naturally apply it to our relationship with God.

In Psalms 138:8 TPT, David writes, “You keep every promise you’ve ever made to me! Since your love for me is constant and endless, I ask you, Lord, to finish every good thing that you’ve begun in me!”

The understanding that God will keep His promise to guide, protect and provide for us, helps us to trust God. He will indeed keep these three promises and all the others stated in His word. Remember what Numbers 23:19 says, “God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.”

Pause for a minute and contemplate all that we’ve missed because we didn’t obey, and all those who missed out because of our disobedience.

Reality reminder 1: God knows each of us intimately. Psalms 139:4 (GW) reminds us, “…Even before there is a single word on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord.”

Reality Reminder 2: God loves each of us unconditionally. In Jeremiah 31:3 God says….“I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!”

Abba Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit will minister to the hearts of everyone reading this today. That out of our love for you, we will choose obedience over self-reliance. Drive fear and the lies and deceit of the enemy far from us, so that we might be able to trust you like Peter did when you told him to step out of the boat and walk on the water. Remind us that you love us too much to leave us to sink, even when it’s because of our own frailties. We thank you Father. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

If you’ve never asked Christ to be Lord of your life please pray this prayer. Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sin please forgive me, cleanse me, and make me your child. I commit my life to you today. Amen.

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